The NFC playoff race has turned into a full-on NFC North showcase, and Detroit is right in the middle of it. After seven weeks, all four teams from the division are sitting in the playoff picture, with the Lions hanging onto a strong spot in the Wild Card mix while the Vikings, Bears and Packers all crowd the top of the conference board.
Minnesota remains the team at the front of the line at 6-0, and the way they’re getting there says plenty about how they’ve built this start. Brian Flores’ defense has been the engine, and it has been downright suffocating: all of their last five opponents have been held to 16 points or less.
The offense still has plenty to figure out, which keeps the Vikings from looking untouchable. The Lions get the next shot at them, and Jared Goff has generally done well against Minnesota, though Flores got the better of him last year.
Chicago is right there too at 5-2, and the Bears are starting to look like the most complete group in the division. Their Thursday night win over the Patriots wasn’t just an offensive flex for Ben Johnson’s unit; the defense carried its own weight as well. The catch for Chicago is what comes next: a tough road matchup in Seattle on Monday Night Football.
Detroit’s path looks different, but no less encouraging. The Lions moved ahead of Green Bay by beating the Packers in Week 7, and that win made the standings look even tighter.
At 4-2, they’ve settled into the Wild Card hunt with real leverage, and the defense is beginning to set the tone for what this team wants to be. Green Bay, meanwhile, sits at 4-3 and still seems stuck searching for an offensive identity beyond the deep shot.
The injuries are piling up, and that hasn’t helped.
Behind the divisional leaders, the rest of the NFC field is starting to take shape. The current division leaders are Minnesota, San Francisco at 6-1, the Giants at 4-2-1 and Carolina at 3-3. In the Wild Card race, Chicago is fifth, Detroit sixth and Green Bay seventh, with Seattle right behind at 4-3 in eighth.
The rest of the pack is already trying to keep up. Atlanta and the Rams are both 3-4, while the Eagles and Cowboys remain listed ahead of their Monday Night Football matchup at 2-4 apiece. Tampa Bay, New Orleans and Arizona are all 2-5, and Washington sits at 1-4-1.
Detroit’s position is especially interesting because the cushion is there. The Lions are two games back in the division, but they’re nearly sitting on a two-game lead in the Wild Card race. Of the teams chasing them, only Green Bay and Seattle have three losses; everybody else has at least four.
There’s another layer working in Detroit’s favor, too. The Lions are in strong shape on tiebreakers, thanks to a 3-1 record in conference play. Only the Vikings at 4-0 and the 49ers at 4-1 have better conference marks, and Detroit still hasn’t lost a divisional game.
In Other News...
Packers Coach Weighed In On The Lions Penalty Controversy
The Packers 20-17 loss to the Lions came with plenty of extra attention on the officials, as Green Bay was flagged repeatedly and Detroit was handed 81 free yards in a game that stayed tight throughout. Matt LaFleur did not hide his frustration afterward, especially with one roughing-the-passer call, but he also stopped short of turning his postgame availability into a full-scale attack on the officiating.
LaFleur made clear he wanted the focus to shift quickly from the calls to the loss itself, saying the Packers need to move on and get ready for their next game against the Carolina Panthers. For Detroit, it was the kind of divisional win that can linger with the opponent long after the final whistle, especially when the games most debated moments keep coming back into the conversation. [Read more 🡒]
Lions Win Sparked A Postgame NFL Reaction Packers Fans Hated
The Lions 20-17 win over Green Bay was already going to leave the Packers frustrated, but the reaction afterward pushed the conversation well beyond the final whistle. Packers safety Xavier McKinney took aim at the officiating in the aftermath, and even Fox broadcaster Tom Brady raised questions about several calls, including a roughing-the-passer penalty that drew attention during the game.
What really set off Packers fans, though, came later when the leagues own social media account leaned into the celebration. The NFL posted a clip of Lions players dancing after a late offsides penalty on Green Bay, and the choice did not go over well with a chunk of the Packers fan base online. It turned a tense divisional loss into one more talking point in a rivalry that already needs no help getting heated. [Read more 🡒]
Dan Campbell Defended The Lions Gamble That Nearly Backfired Vs Packers
Late in the fourth quarter of Detroits Week 7 matchup with Green Bay, Dan Campbell made the kind of call that defines the way the Lions want to play. With the game tied and under five minutes left, he kept the offense on the field for a fourth-and-1 at his own 24-yard line instead of punting, a decision that raised eyebrows in the moment when the conversion came up short and handed the Packers a short field.
Campbell didnt back away from it afterward. He said he believed Detroit would get the first down and, even if it didnt, the defense would be able to get the ball back, and the sequence played out in a way that preserved his logic. The Packers failed to cash in on the field-position gift, the Lions were able to survive the scare, and the game still came down to a last-second field goal. [Read more 🡒]